title: A versatile platform for multilevel modeling of physiological systems: template/instance framework for large-scale modeling and simulation.
abstract: Building multilevel models of physiological systems is a significant and effective method for integrating a huge amount of bio-physiological data and knowledge obtained by earlier experiments and simulations. Since such models tend to be large in size and complicated in structure, appropriate software frameworks for supporting modeling activities are required. A software platform, PhysioDesigner, has been developed, which supports the process of creating multilevel models. Models developed on PhysioDesigner are established in an XML format called PHML. Every physiological entity in a model is represented as a module, and hence a model constitutes an aggregation of modules. When the number of entities of which the model is comprised is large, it is difficult to manage the entities manually, and some semiautomatic assistive functions are necessary. In this article, which focuses particularly on recently developed features of the platform for building large-scale models utilizing a template/instance framework and morphological information, the PhysioDesigner platform is introduced.
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asai
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okita
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okuyama
authors.forename: Ken-Ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hagihara
authors.forename: Samik
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kurachi
authors.forename: Hrioaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kitano
mesh_terms: D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000502:physiology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008954:Models, Biological; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010829:Physiological Phenomena; D012984:Software